Bird in a Golden Cage
by RegalStarlight
Summary: Regina goes into the tavern and meets Robin of Locksley, a thief caught up in a dangerous mission. Against all odds, the two begin to fall in love, but the world seems determined to pull them apart. Inspired by the popular OQ fan theory that Page 23 tells the story of "The Golden Bird", a Grimm fairy tale.
1. The Tavern

**Author's Note:** If you pause on page 23 and read the text, it comes from "The Golden Bird", a Grimm brothers fairy tale. At this point it doesn't seem likely that we'll find out the story behind page 23 beyond being a failed experiment of Isaac's, so I'm writing it myself, using Quite a Common Fairy and the Golden Bird fairy tale as my starting point.

* * *

Robin took another swig of ale. A thousand problems surged through his mind, not quite washed away by the drink. Over the noise of the tavern, he heard the door swing open. A gust of wind from outside blew through the room. Out of curiosity, he looked over his shoulder and saw a woman dressed in white standing in the doorway, staring straight at him. Their eyes met, and he thought he saw fear in her gaze. Then she turned and ran.

Instinctively, he stood. His legs carried him out the door after her, even while his mind told him this was silly. Just outside, he caught up to her. He grabbed her arm, and she spun around, looking at him with startled eyes. Yes, she was definitely afraid of something. Of him? He realized that he had given her reason to be, following her into the alley and grabbing her like he did. Awkwardly, he let go of her arm.

"Apologies, Milady," he said softly. "I was simply worried. Are you all right?"

She laughed, and a hard, cold mask went up to hide the vulnerability he had seen just moments before.

"What does it matter to you?" she snapped. "We don't even know each other."

He smiled and shook his head. It was true, of course. They were complete strangers, and yet something in him cried out that he wanted to know this woman, this breathtakingly beautiful stranger who was so obviously in pain.

"Then allow me to introduce myself," he said. "Robin of Locksley, at your service. And you are?"

"Regina," she replied, tilting her head curiously.

"Ah." He raised an eyebrow. "You know you have the same name as the King's new wife?"

Something shifted in the air between them.

"Yes, I'm aware."

No, there was more to it. He had felt the tension, seen _something_ in her eyes for just a split second when he mentioned the King and Queen. Whatever it was, he wanted … no, he needed to know more. He had never met someone who fascinated him so much as this woman in the alley. Regina. What a beautiful name for an even lovelier woman.

"Well, Regina," he said. "What do you say you come into the tavern and let me buy you a drink?"

Regina smiled, and Robin's breath caught in his throat.

"All right then," she said. "Just one drink."

But of course she stayed for more than just one drink. As he looked across the table at her, he thought to himself that he had never seen a woman who took his breath away like she did. He felt a sudden urge to run his fingers through her silky black hair, but he held himself back. He might be a common thief, but with her, he didn't want to be anything less than a gentleman.

"So tell me about yourself, Regina."

Her eyes widened at his words. For a moment, she sat there awkwardly, staring at him. Then the mask went up again and her eyes turned cold.

"Why do you care?" she snapped.

He shrugged.

"I'd like to know you better," he said. "How am I to do that, if you won't tell me who you are?"

Regina hesitated, and Robin knew whatever she told him would only be a small part of the truth. If he wanted to unravel the mystery, it would take time. But then she smiled.

"Who do _you_ think I am?" she asked.

He did a double take. If he wasn't mistaken, she was … well, she was flirting with him. His heart skipped a beat.

"Well, I'd say you're clearly from a wealthy family, to be going around dressed like that," he said. "Is that silk your dress is made of? Not what one would normally see in this part of town. And you're quite obviously one of the most beautiful women I've ever laid eyes on. And … you're hiding something. I don't know what it is, but there's more to you than meets the eye, I'm sure of it."

She sighed.

"All right," he said. "You can keep your secrets. After all, who am I? Just a stranger in a bar."

She didn't meet his eyes. He smiled to himself, even more intrigued.

"So who are you, Robin of Locksley?" Regina asked.

Robin felt the same hesitation he had seen on her face a few moments before. He, too, had secrets, but something in his gut was telling him to trust her.

"I am a man in a desperate situation," he said.

"Oh?"

In a hushed voice, he told her his story: how he had been caught stealing golden apples from King Midas' garden and been spared only on the condition that he put his skills as a thief to use and steal something the King wanted.

"King Leopold's golden bird?" Regina demanded. "That's what he wants?"

Robin nodded.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" he asked. "Midas is powerful, but there are things he can't do. The things he turns to gold can't go on living, moving, and breathing – not like Leopold's bird does."

"So King Midas is jealous," Regina mused. "Or do you think he wants to learn how to create things like the bird himself?"

"Who knows?" asked Robin. "But I have no choice. I have to give him what he wants."

Regina's eyes sparkled knowingly.

"He has something on you. What?"

Robin sighed.

"One of my closest friends was captured along with me," he said. "A man called Little John. If I don't bring King Midas the bird within a week's time, he'll have John executed. That's why I have to do it."

Regina's eyes softened, and she reached across the table to take his hand.

"I know what it's like to lose someone close to you," she said. "Maybe … maybe I can help?"

"Unless you know some secret way of stealing the bird, I'm afraid not," he said, shaking his head. "I'm told it's protected by magic."

Regina nodded.

"It is," she whispered. "The golden cage that it's kept in is enchanted. If you try to remove it … well, let's just say you won't make it out of the castle alive. But I can tell you exactly where to find the key. Just sneak in at night and take the bird out, put it in another cage, and get out of there before anyone sees you."

He stared at her, wide-eyed.

"You live in the castle?" he stammered.

She shrugged and gave a vague nod.

"Are you a servant, or …"

"You could say that," she said with a dark chuckle. "Most of the time I play nursemaid to the spoiled brat of a Princess."

"Is she a brat? I've heard Princess Snow is –"

"What you've heard is nothing but false flattery," Regina cut in. "I've never met someone so selfish, except maybe the King. Consider this my personal way of getting back at them."

Robin blinked in astonishment at the bitterness in her voice. Her brow was furrowed, and she glared down at her drink. He had heard so many good things about the King and Princess, but coming from someone who had actually met them … well, there was no faking that kind of hatred.

"What could they have done, to deserve such anger?" Robin wondered aloud.

"That doesn't matter," Regina said. "Do you want my help, or not?"

"Of course," said Robin.

"Okay, then. The King keeps the key in his bedchamber, hanging above his bed. He's away right now – he and Snow White won't be back until the day after tomorrow – and he left it behind. I can slip a sleeping draught to the guards, so you'll have no trouble getting in. Just do what I told you, and you'll be fine."

He looked into her eyes.

"All right. Thank you."

"I should go," she said, standing abruptly. "I don't think they'll have missed me yet, but I need to get back before they do."

"Will I see you again?" he asked, taking hold of her hand.

She paused, and for a moment he thought she was going to say no. But then a smile formed on her lips.

"I'd like that," she said. "Meet me back here once you've freed your friend."

He grinned as he watched her disappear into the night. The heavy burden he had been carrying around on his shoulders felt suddenly lighter. He had a way of saving Little John now; all he had to do was steal the bird, and Regina had made that easy for him. And as for her, this mysterious, beautiful, angry woman – he would see her again. And once he wasn't scrambling to save his friend's life, who knew what might happen?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I've taken quite a few liberties with the actual fairy tale. The biggest one is probably that Robin is a thief, not a Prince, and was caught trying to steal the golden apples himself instead of catching the bird trying to do it. There's also a talking fox in the original who gives him instructions on how to steal the bird, but I gave that role to Regina instead – the Princess in "The Golden Bird" doesn't show up until near the end and is pretty much just a prize to be won, but of course I wasn't going to do that, so Regina will be part of the story all the way through.


	2. The Golden Bird

The little green fairy fluttered in through the window. Regina caught sight of her from where she sat in bed and watched as she grew to human-sized. Tinkerbell sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at the young Queen.

"Well? How did it go?"

Regina's face flushed. She smiled in spite of herself as she thought about the man in the tavern who she had come so close to running away from.

"It was …" she let her voice trail off. What was it? What words could describe it that wouldn't sound like some awful cliché?

"Oh, you're glowing!" Tinkerbell exclaimed. "I knew it! You can find love again! Regina, this is wonderful, you're going to be so happy! When are you meeting him again?"

Regina laughed at the fairy's excitement.

"Soon, I think," she said. "He has something he has to do, but we're going to meet back at the tavern a few days from now."

Tinkerbell hugged her. Regina felt herself go awkwardly still, arms hanging limply at her sides before she realized she should probably hug back. She didn't quite know how to react; it had been so long since she had had a friend. Not that Tinkerbell was a friend, of course, she told herself. But still, she wasn't used to this kind of affection.

"What about you?" Regina asked when Tinkerbell finally broke off the hug. "You stole that pixie dust for me. Are you going to be okay?"

The fairy shrugged.

"I did it to help you, and it worked. Blue will have to see that. Don't worry about me."

Her smile wavered nervously, and Regina knew Tinkerbell must be worried. One didn't disobey the Blue Fairy lightly. But Tinkerbell had made her own choice to steal that dust, and what was the worst that could really happen? So Regina just wished her good luck and watched her fly off into the night.

* * *

Robin snuck into the castle, a wooden birdcage in his hand. Getting the key would be easy enough; true to her word, Regina must have slipped the guards something, because they were asleep on duty and the King's chambers were unlocked. His eyes darted around the room, full of gold and luxury. But now wasn't the time to steal whatever caught his eye. If he was to save Little John, he needed to focus on the mission.

Three keys hung above the King's bed: one that matched the silver lock on a large trunk sitting nearby, one rusty iron key that seemed entirely out of place amid the surrounding luxury, and one that was small and delicate, crafted of pure gold with a swirling pattern on the handle. He took it down from the wall where it hung and closed his fist around it. Then, turning his back on the surrounding riches, he left and closed the door carefully behind him. The subtler he could be, the better.

With the light tread of an experienced thief, he made his way through the castle, darting away into the shadows at the sound of approaching footsteps. At one point, he was almost spotted by a man in a guard's uniform, but he hid himself behind a column until the other man shook his head and turned away.

There, up ahead, stood the King's aviary. A hundred caged songbirds peered at him from behind golden bars, and as he looked back at them, he felt a strange sort of sadness. What right did the King have to claim these creatures' freedom for his own pleasure? But he couldn't be distracted. He was here to save Little John, not to pity these caged birds.

He turned his attention to the large golden birdcage suspended in the center of the room. The bird inside was like nothing he had ever seen before, a living creature made of solid gold. Robin picked up a feather that had fallen to the ground and turned it over in his hand, astonished at what he saw. But when he looked back at the bird, he saw that it wasn't pure gold at all. He could only guess at what its insides were made of, but its eyes were those of a living creature, and its beak must have been something more durable than soft, pliable gold. Still, no wonder Midas wanted it! Who wouldn't? It must be the King's most prized possession, Robin thought, aside from possibly his crown. Well, not for long.

But as soon as Robin lifted the key, he realized something was wrong. It was too small, the lock too big, and when he tried to fit it into the keyhole, it simply slipped out.

"Damn it," he said in a harsh whisper. There must have been a trick. Perhaps Regina … no, surely she wouldn't have betrayed him. There must be another explanation.

The precious golden key sat uselessly in the palm of his hand. Robin threw it to the floor in anger and let the handle of the wooden cage slip from his hand. As it hit the ground, the sound of breaking wood echoed through the silence. Around him, a few of the other birds started chirping. They weren't loud, but when you're trying to stay hidden, any noise was too much.

Desperately, Robin looked from the broken wooden cage and useless key to the golden bird, staring back at him with its beady little eyes. Oh, screw it. Acting quickly before he could talk himself out of it, he grabbed the birdcage and lifted it down from the golden hook it was hanging from. There was no blast of magic, no lightning striking him down. For a moment, he grinned, thinking he had gotten away with it.

He tried to take a step and realized his feet were rooted in place. The cage stuck to his hands as if it was glued to him. All around him, the birds started chirping out the most earsplitting cacophony of noise he had ever heard. It was only a matter of time before the King's guards arrived. As for the golden bird itself, it sat quietly inside the cage, looking back at Robin with eyes that said, _you idiot, you should have known better_.


	3. The King's Command

Robin was used to sleeping in uncomfortable places. He had spent many nights in the forest as an outlaw, and though it had been a difficult adjustment at first, he found he actually enjoyed it. There was nothing quite like the sound of the wind whistling through the leaves to lull you to sleep, and the hard ground was something to get used to, but at this point he preferred it to the straw mattresses most of the common people slept on.

Spending the night in the dungeon was something else entirely. The comforting sounds of nature were nowhere to be heard; instead, rats scurried about in the darkness, and an unpleasant stench filled the cell. He could barely make out the sturdy iron bars, and instead of the stars, there was only a stone roof above him. But worst of all was the fear. Tomorrow the King would return from his journey, and the first thing the guards would do was tell him of the thief who tried to steal the Golden Bird. Even if he showed mercy, which Robin doubted, there would be no way now that he could bring the bird to Midas in exchange for Little John's freedom. And if the two Kings dug too deeply … well, he didn't even want to consider what might happen if they found the rest of his Merry Men.

And what about Regina? Had she betrayed him? Or had he made some mistake? The questions haunted him, echoing in his mind as he sat in the darkness, unable and unwilling to fall asleep.

But eventually, sleep must have crept up on him, because the next thing he knew there was the light of a torch and the rough hands of the guards hauling him to his feet. They put heavy chains around his wrists and dragged him up out of the dungeons and through the halls of the castle into the throne room, where he was shoved roughly to his knees.

"This is the thief, Your Majesty," said one of the guards.

Unwilling to be forced into submission, Robin lifted his gaze from the hard marble floor to the pair of thrones towering above him. The King sat upon one of them, dressed in majestic robes and a golden crown, with his young daughter at his side, no more than twelve or thirteen years old. Robin opened his mouth to tell the King this was no place for a child, but then he caught sight of the figure on the other throne and his voice caught in his throat. Regina.

He almost didn't recognize her at first, with her hair pulled up in an elegant bun, crown upon her head, dressed in royal finery and seated at the King's side. But there was no mistaking her, even like this. Her face was passive and cold, with just a hint of what might be sadness behind the mask, but he knew that his was a mess of emotion.

"Is it true?" demanded the King. "Did you attempt to steal my golden bird?"

Robin turned his attention back to Leopold. He was so much older than the woman at his side. What could possibly have made her agree to a marriage with a man who could easily have been her father? He felt a sudden urge to jump to his feet and attack the King with his bare fists, but he held himself back.

"I did," he said. "But –"

"There is no excuse for such an action," said the King. "We must provide justice."

"Is it justice to see an innocent man die?" asked Robin, hoping that might catch the King's attention. "I've heard you're a kind and fair ruler. One of my closest friends is being held captive by King Midas. He ordered me to bring him your golden bird. Otherwise my friend will be killed."

He hadn't even finished speaking when he realized it would be no use. The King shook his head.

"Such a thing could start a war," he said. "I do not believe you. But since you have lied to me …"

"Milord, perhaps he is telling the truth," said Regina cautiously. "King Midas has always envied your golden bird, has he not? Perhaps he couldn't resist the temptation."

Leopold hesitated. Robin could tell he was reluctant to agree, but Regina had put the question in his mind, and perhaps that would be enough. Then, from her place at his side, Snow White suddenly piped up.

"Daddy, can he steal something for me?"

The King turned to his daughter with a fond expression.

"My dear Snow, what could you possibly desire that you do not already have? There is no need for this thief's assistance; whatever you want, I can give you."

Snow looked from her father to Robin, a curious gleam in her eye.

"What about King George's horse? The magical one that can run as fast as the wind. I'd give anything for a steed like that! Please, daddy?"

King Leopold chuckled and patted his daughter on the head.

"My dear child …"

"I won my first ribbon last week," Snow insisted. "The first of many, I'm sure. Don't I deserve something special?"

Robin couldn't contain a little smile as he watched the Princess give her father the most adorable sad puppy face he had ever seen. Regina, on the other hand, did not look even vaguely amused. Bratty, she had said. Selfish. Well, perhaps the girl was a bit spoiled, but …

"Can you do this, thief?"

Kin Leopold's voice cut through Robin's thoughts.

"It would be difficult, Your Majesty," he said.

"You must do it," said King Leopold. "Succeed, and your life will be spared. I will even give you the golden bird as a reward."

Robin's eyes lit up. For the first time that day, he felt lighter, more hopeful. There was still a chance, however small.

"Fail, and you must never return to my kingdom, on pain of death."

Well, of course. That was to be expected, he thought. Still, what an unexpectedly pleasant turn of events. Instead of being executed, he would live, and he had another chance to save Little John. Everything would be all right.

Or … perhaps not everything, he thought as he glanced once more at Regina. The future he had imagined for them – what whimsical fantasies he'd had, the two of them riding off into the sunset and living happily ever after – could surely never come true now. She was married, but even more importantly, she was the Queen. Even if she hadn't gotten him caught on purpose, there was no way she would even look twice at a common thief like him. Whatever connection he had imagined, it couldn't possibly have been real.

Why did that make his heart ache so badly?


	4. The Journey

Robin had barely left the castle when he found Regina, dressed in the garb of a peasant woman, standing in his path. His jaw dropped. He certainly hadn't expected to see her again, except perhaps at King Leopold's side when he returned.

"You lied to me," he said in an accusatory tone. "You said you were a servant at the castle, not the Queen."

She sighed. "A technicality. Trust me, I'm not the queen in any way that matters."

He doubted that, but he pushed it aside for the moment. There were far more important questions burning in his mind right now.

"What else did you lie about?" he demanded. "Did you set me up to get caught? Because it looks an awful lot like that to me."

At that, Regina couldn't contain a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"You got yourself caught, you fool!" she said. "If you had done what I said instead of trying to take the golden cage, you would have been fine. How could you be so stupid?"

That was just taking things a bit too far, he thought.

"How exactly was I supposed to do that when the key didn't work?" he sputtered.

"It didn't … no, it should have," Regina insisted.

The shock on her face told Robin she wasn't lying, and all of a sudden, his heart felt lighter. She hadn't betrayed him. She hadn't led him into a trap. She had just been mistaken, and that was much easier to live with.

"All right," he said. "So what are you doing here dressed like that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she replied. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" He couldn't believe his ears, but she just nodded.

"I can help," she said. "I want to help you, Robin. Please."

She grimaced, and he could tell she was swallowing her pride. He raised an eyebrow.

"How could you possibly help?" he asked. "Your 'help' is what got me into this mess in the first place!"

Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "Look, I didn't come out here dressed like this just to let you turn me away. I'm good with horses, okay? I can help."

From the look on her face as she said that, he could tell there was something more to it than a simple talent. But whatever was behind her skill with horses, he wouldn't pry. For now.

"You're really not going to give up, are you?" he asked.

"No, I'm not," said Regina.

"I take it the King doesn't know?"

"Does it matter?"

Robin shook his head. "I guess not. Come on, then."

"What?"

"Well, we need to get moving. It's nearly a day's journey just to the border, and in case you've forgotten, I'm on a bit of a tight schedule."

Regina looked surprised that it had been so easy to convince him, but Robin just gave her a smug smile. To tell the truth, he was more than happy to spend time with this intriguing stranger, now that he knew she hadn't betrayed him.

* * *

The further they went into the woods, the more Regina came to life. The cold-eyed Queen on her throne was long gone. With her hair hanging loose down her back, strolling along the uneven forest path, she might as well have been an entirely different person. No wonder he hadn't guessed her true status that night in the tavern. She was regal in her own way, but she didn't have the snobbish attitude of superiority that he had come to expect from royalty. He couldn't help thinking she was better suited to run free in the forest than to be shut up in a stuffy castle wearing golden chains. He found his thoughts drifting to the two of them riding on horseback through the untamed woods, laughing and smiling, kissing in the moonlight, sleeping beneath a blanket of stars side-by-side. He could show her a whole world of adventure beyond the walls of her castle. But then he remembered that she was the Queen, and his dreams flickered out like a dying flame. Whatever her reason for being here was, and however much she might seem to dislike her position, the fact was that royals simply did not run off with outlaws. Getting his hopes up would just end in heartbreak.

"We should stop and rest soon," he said, breaking the silence.

"Why?" Regina asked. "Shouldn't we keep moving?"

Robin shook his head at her stubborn determination.

"Wearing ourselves out won't do any good," he said. "Anyway, there's a creek up ahead. We should stop and drink."

She peered at him through narrowed eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Well," he said, "I do know this forest fairly well. But aside from that … listen. What do you hear?"

He stopped walking, and she reluctantly did the same. She tilted her head and seemed to be listening, but then she shook her head.

"I don't hear anything."

Robin could hardly believe that. From the chirping of birds to the rustling of leaves, the forest was alive with sound.

"Close your eyes," he said. "And listen."

She hesitated, eyeing him with suspicion, before slowly closing her eyes. For a moment, she was still, a small smile spreading across her lips. Then she let out a soft gasp and her face lit up, and he knew she had recognized the gentle trickle of water.

"Oh, I can hear it!" she said.

Robin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. For a moment he wanted to tell her that he would teach her everything about the forest. How to hunt with a bow and arrow, how to navigate the stars, how to hide and disappear among the trees … they could have a life together out here, where the King could never find her.

But that was silly, so he settled for a simple "well done".

"You can open your eyes now," he added, and she looked up at him with a new light in her gaze. She didn't look cold or angry right now. She looked happy.

 _You could make her happy,_ said a voice in the back of his head. _You could bring that smile to her face._ But he pushed those thoughts away. He knew better.

* * *

Drinking from a creek was new to Regina. Cora, who had barely tolerated riding lessons, would never have allowed such a thing, and King Leopold's bride certainly wasn't permitted to romp around the woods like a commoner. She grumbled as Robin told her that "Sadly, I didn't bring along a golden goblet for Your Majesty, so if you want water, you're going to have to drink it the way us common folk do". But as she knelt down beside the little stream and cupped her hands, she thought that this was the life she had wanted. Not luxury and jewels and golden goblets. So she scooped up water in her hands and brought it to her mouth, surprised by how cool and fresh it tasted. She glanced at Robin, smiling and thinking that she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so free.

"Not so bad after all, is it?" he asked, chuckling.

She was grinning like a lovesick idiot, she knew. She hadn't felt this way since … oh. Since Daniel. Suddenly her joy evaporated, and she was left sitting there, on the edge of a creek with her supposed soul mate, thinking of a lifeless body hitting the ground and the ashes of a heart falling from her mother's hand.

"Are you all right?" Robin asked in a soft, concerned tone.

"I'm fine," Regina said coldly, trying to pull herself together.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as she stared out at the forest, blinking back tears and wondering what it would have been like to be here with Daniel. Finally, Robin interrupted, telling her they needed to get moving again, and she nodded and pulled herself to her feet.

* * *

They didn't speak for a while as they walked through the forest together. Regina was in no mood to start a conversation, and Robin seemed to realize that. But as time passed, Regina began to wish the awkward silence would go away. The journey was more tiring than she had expected, and having nothing to distract her from the depressing turn her thoughts had taken made it far more uncomfortable. Finally, Robin broke the silence.

"So aren't they going to miss you at the castle?" he asked.

Regina couldn't contain a chuckle at that. Privately, she thought of magic lessons with Rumple and trips to far-off realms in Jefferson's hat. Once she had spent the better part of two days in Oz and returned to find that no one had known she was gone. But she couldn't tell Robin about that. If he knew that she was learning magic from the Dark One, he might not want anything to do with her.

"I doubt that," she said simply. "They don't take much notice of me."

He must have noticed an undertone of bitterness in her voice, because his eyes softened in sympathy.

"Is that what you meant when you said you weren't really the Queen?" he asked.

She nodded. That was exactly what she meant.

"Queens are leaders," she said. "They have power, they're respected or … or feared. I'm Snow White's nanny and the King's wife – although that might be too kind a term – but trust me, things would be very different if I was in charge. Not that I ever wanted to be Queen in the first place. I didn't even have the power to say no when he asked. I lost everything because his bratty daughter needed a new mommy!"

In her frustration, words came pouring out that she hadn't meant to say. Something about Robin made all her natural defenses go down. She saw a look on his face like he was wondering just what exactly she meant, but he was polite enough not to ask.

"I'm sorry, milady," he said. "I really don't know what to say."

But "I'm sorry" meant nothing to her. Just empty words that no longer gave her any comfort. So she shrugged her shoulders and trudged on, awkward silence falling over the two of them again.

* * *

As the sky was beginning to darken, Regina, who by this point was longing for a hot bath and a soft feather mattress to collapse into, caught sight of turrets on the horizon. She pointed to them excitedly, and a grin spread across Robin's face. He wrapped her up in a celebratory hug as their destination loomed on the horizon. They had arrived at King George's castle.


	5. The Horse Thieves

Regina's first impulse was to sneak in at night, but Robin laughed shook his head when she suggested that.

"We'll wait until morning," he said.

"Why?" Regina asked. "Won't we be seen?"

Robin nodded. "Of course we'll be seen, but we won't be noticed. The gates to the castle will be open during the day. We can simply pretend to be peasants on our way to deliver ... I don't know, something the king might need. They'll let us right in through the front door."

Regina was skepical, but his plan worked. No one looked twice at them as they passed through the gates carrying baskets of freshly-picked apples that they abandoned as soon as they were inside. Grinning in triumph, they made their way to the stables together.

The soft, musky scent of straw and horses came rushing over Regina as they entered. For a moment, she was taken back to Daniel, to the feel of his lips on hers and the horrible thud his body made as it hit the ground. Soon after the wedding, she had learned that King Leopold would not allow her to ride the way that she liked, bareback and wild, as if she might sprout wings and fly away mid-gallop. Even that illusion of freedom had been taken from her, and since then, she had avoided the stables. They only brought painful memories to her.

"Now all we need to do is find that horse and get out of here," Robin said. "But ... which one is it?"

He was right; there were a lot of horses here, and they were each graceful and majestic enough to be a king's prized steed. No doubt many of them were. But as Regina glanced back and forth, one horse in particular caught her eye. She couldn't tell why at first glance; it looked like the most average of all of them here, a small, dusty-brown horse with a mane that could almost be described as shaggy. It pawed at the ground and snorted impatiently. In its eyes was a glint of something Regina couldn't quite name.

That was it, she realized. It didn't belong here, not because it was too ordinary, but because it didn't want to be caged. But did that make it the horse they were looking for?

All of a sudden, a sound broke through her thoughts. She and Robin turned at once to see a young boy, no older than sixteen, standing in the doorway to the stable.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Regina didn't think. She just felt. She focused on the anger inside of her until she couldn't contain it anymore. At once, she vanished in a puff of purple smoke and reappeared right beside the intruder. Another second later, she had plunged her hand into his chest and yanked out his heart. Red, beating, and alive. For now.

"Regina!" Robin's vocie was a whispered shout. She turned to face him and saw horror in his eyes.

"So the rumors are true," he said. "You're a witch."

"I'm learning magic, yes," said Regina. He opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off. "Lecture me later, if you must."

She turned back to the boy and gave his heart a gentle squeeze. Not enough to hurt him, but just enough to make him gasp and clutch at his chest. If she squeezed a bit harder, he would be on his knees.

"Which one of these is the king's most valuable steed?" she demanded. "Which one is the enchanted horse? Tell me!"

She wasn't quite sure yet how to use his heart to command him, but the fear seemed to be enough on its own. He lifted a hand and pointed directly at the horse she had noticed a few minutes before.

"Please don't hurt me," the boy begged.

Looking down at the heart in her hand, Regina knew that she had only two options. She could let him go and warn his king. Or she could crush it into ash. It wouldn't be the first time she had taken a life this way; the memory of a dead apprentice and ashes slipping through her fingers was still sharp in her mind. But to kill an innocent boy here in the stables was another matter entirely.

To her surprise, a gentle hand touched her arm. "Let him go," Robin murmured.

"We can't!" Regina protested. "We let him go and this whole castle will know we're here."

"I won't tell anyone, I swear," sobbed the boy.

"There, you see?" said Robin. "Anyway, once we have the horse, we'll be out of here before anyone can stop us. How fast did your stepdaughter say it could run?"

Faster than the wind, if the rumors were to be believed. Regina looked from Robin to the horse to the terrified teenage boy and finally to the heart she still held in her hand, pulsing red. Steeling herself, she made up her mind. She gritted her teeth and found her anger again, and her fingers clenched around the heart, squeezing it until the boy was writing on the floor in pain. She turned away from Robin's disappointed face. Then, bending down beside the stable boy, she plunged the glowing heart back into his chest.

"You'll live," she said, pulling her hand away. "You can thank a man named Daniel for that. But if you betray us, I will come back for you, and I will crush your heart into ash. Do you understand?"

He gasped and nodded, tears still running down his face. But then she stood and turned her back to him. Robin looked back at her, shocked and confused.

"Regina ..."

"Later," she said shortly. "We need to get out of here _now_."

* * *

They said that King George's horse could run faster than the wind. Whether that was true or not, it could certainly run faster than any other horse Regina had ever been on. Robin sat behind her with his arms wrapped tightly around her as the forest around them rushed by in a blur. Before long, the forest began to look familiar. They couldn't have been riding more than half an hour, but they were already back by the stream they had passed close to Leopold's castle. Regina reigned the horse in, and it slowed its pace to a slow gallop before finally skidding to a halt.

"Let's stop here before we go back," she said, and Robin nodded.

They both slid off of the horse's back, and Regina looped the reigns around the branch of a nearby tree to keep him from running off. She bent down beside the stream to drink and then sat down on the bank, and Robin did the same.

"I suppose we need to talk," she said at last.

He nodded. "That we do. How long have you been practicing magic?"

She paused for a moment, wondering how much to say. But Tinkerbell had said that he was her soul mate, so surely he would accept the truth?

"Just before the wedding, I was desperate for a way out," she said. "I summoned a man called Rumplestiltskin, thinking he could help me, but things didn't exactly go the way I planned. He said he could teach me magic, and I said yes. I hoped I could ..."

"What?" he prompted when she grew quiet. "You can tell me anything."

"I hoped I could learn to bring back the dead," she admitted.

"You lost someone?" his voice was gentle now.

"His name was Daniel," she said. "And I loved him. But my mother wanted me to marry well, and he was just a commoner. A stable boy."

"He's the one who taught you about horses?" Robin guessed. "I can see you have a great deal of skill with them."

Regina nodded.

"So he's the reason you spared that boy's life."

"I never wanted to be like my mother," said Regina. "But sometimes I worry that it's too late for that."

"Because you're learning dark magic," said Robin. "Can't you just stop?"

Regina let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. "It's not that simple. Rumple says -"

"Why care what he thinks?" Robin cut in.

"Because it's true!" said Regina, choking back tears. "My anger is all I have! I'm trapped in that castle like a bird in a golden cage, and even if I wanted to start over, I could never get away."

Robin blinked, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

"What if you could?"

Regina laughed humorlessly. "That's not even possible. The king will never let me go, and now that the darkness has gotten ahold of me ..."

"But what if you had a chance to leave all that behind?" Robin asked. "Would you take it?"

Regina just stared back at him for a long moment. He couldn't possibly know that at this very moment she was struggling with that exact question. She caught a glimpse of the lion tattoo on his arm and remembered how she had nearly run from him, how she might still run from him now.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Well," he said, "I do have an idea, if you'd like to hear it."


	6. The Stolen Queen

No one had noticed she was gone.

Well, that wasn't quite true. The ladies who waited on her had gotten used to Regina's occasional disappearances, but they were discreet. And Rumple had noticed. If she had any doubt about that, it vanished when she found him waiting for her in her bedroom.

"You missed your lesson again, dearie," he told her.

Regina sighed. She had snuck back into the castle for the moment, but she didn't have long. Robin would wait at the stream for as long as he could after he traded the horse for the golden bird, but if she didn't show up, it would be too late. She needed to get rid of Rumple _now_.

"I was busy," she said, pushing past him.

"Well, you must have been," he said, gesturing to her simple attire. "Who are you supposed to be, the queen's chambermaid?"

Regina rolled her eyes. With a puff of purple smoke, the peasant's clothes were replaced by a white silk dress, the same one she had worn that night in the tavern. She walked up to the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Soon, this would all be over – the farce of a marriage, the royal life that she had never wanted in the first place, the darkness … well, it would take time, but she believed she could free herself from it.

"Go away, Rumple," she said, trying and failing to sound dismissive. "I don't have time for this."

He didn't listen, of course. She fidgeted anxiously, trying to figure out how to get away from him. Robin would be done with the king soon, and she had to be ready. But maybe that was the point. Rumple claimed to see the future. If that was true, then maybe he was here to make sure that she didn't ride away into the forest with Robin. Maybe he wanted to keep his pupil.

"You know nothing can bring back the stable boy," he said, interrupting her thoughts.

As if she didn't know that. As if she hadn't learned it in the most painful way possible.

"That love that you lost – nothing can replace it."

Regina hesitated. Was that really what she was doing? Trying to replace Daniel? She knew that he would want her to be happy, but if she let go of her pain over losing him, if she allowed herself to love again, did that mean she would lose what little she had left of him?

"Mother believed that love is weakness," she told him. "Do you believe that?"

"Well, of course it is," he said, as if it was obvious. "But emotion … emotion is power. You can do incredible things, if you just let yourself."

"Yes, you've told me that before," she said. "Why now?"

"I just think you could use a reminder, dearie," he said. "Wouldn't want you to do anything foolish and get your heart broken all over again."

His words sent chills down her spine, but when she turned to look at him with wide, frightened eyes, he had already disappeared.

* * *

Robin was half expecting a trick, but King Leopold kept his word. After he handed over the bird in its golden cage, he ordered the outlaw to leave and never return to his castle again. Robin smiled as he walked away. Now he had what he needed. He could rescue Little John and, hopefully, he could have a future with the beautiful, lonely queen who he had met in the tavern.

Well, if she decided to show up. He waited for her at the stream for what seemed like an eternity, knowing he didn't have much time. There was only one day left before King Midas would have Little John hanged, and no matter what he felt for Regina, he couldn't let his best friend die by waiting for her. Filled with disappointment, he turned away.

"Wait!" Regina's voice called out from behind him. He turned and saw her there, wearing the same white dress she had worn when they first mets, with an anxious expression on her face. She ran straight into his arms.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I almost couldn't get away," he said. "Rumple was there. He tried to talk me into staying, but this time I didn't listen."

Robin smiled at her, barely able to believe that she was actually here, in his arms. He leaned forward to kiss her, and she kissed him back, passionate and fierce. When they finally broke apart, she looked back at him with a gleam of … something … in her eyes that he hadn't seen there before. But then it was back to business.

"You have the bird?" she asked.

He nodded and gestured to it, sitting in its cage nearby.

"The king couldn't resist giving his daughter exactly what she wanted," he said. "Even if it meant giving up his most prized possession."

"See, I told you," said Regina. "It's a good thing we didn't try your plan. I told you it was no good trying to take the horse as well. There would be soldiers all over these woods looking for you if you did."

"Well, then, we'll have to wait to be chased by soldiers until he realizes what else I've taken," said Robin. When Regina raised her eyebrows, he added: "His wife."

Regina sighed. The expression on her face went dark, and when she spoke, her tone was bitter. "I doubt he'll even notice."

"I suppose we'll see," said Robin. "Are you ready?"

"Not really," Regina admitted. "But I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's get out of here."

* * *

"We should be almost there," Robin whispered. The two of them crept through the forest, careful not to make themselves conspicuous. "I told them to wait for me here … ah, yes, here it is."

Grinning, he pushed aside a low-hanging branch and led Regina by the hand into a clearing set up with tents and a campfire. A group of rugged young men were waiting.

"Robin!" one of them cried. "You made it!"

"We thought you'd been caught," said another.

"Well, I had," said Robin. "But I made it out safely, thanks to this lovely young lady. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Regina."

She felt nervous as they turned their attention to her, but she tried not to react. Not surprisingly, one of them recognized her.

"Aren't you … the Queen?"

"Not anymore," said Regina. It might not have technically been true, but technicalities hardly seemed to matter at the moment.

"Look what we've got," said Robin, holding up the bird in its cage. "I'll set out tonight to take it to Midas. There's still time to save Little John."

At that, the Merry Men let out a chuckle. A large man with a scruffy beard rose from the back of the group. He was the last person Regina would ever call "little", but when Robin saw him, his eyes lit up.

"Little John! How …?"

The big man shrugged. "I'm a Merry Man. You think I don't know how to break out of prison?"

"Well, this calls for celebration!" said Robin.

Later that night, as they sat around the campfire, singing and laughing, Regina curled up in Robin's arms.

"I'm glad I came," she whispered to him.

"Good," he murmured. "You'll be happy with us. I promise you that."

"I already am," she said. And without speaking another word, she leaned in closer and kissed him.

* * *

The next morning, Regina knelt beside the bird's cage, watching it carefully. The king wouldn't have been pleased to see her getting dirt on her white silk dress, and she cringed to think what Cora would do if she saw, but Regina forced those thoughts out of her mind. They weren't here. What they thought didn't matter anymore.

The bird looked back at her and blinked slowly. Regina smiled and reached out to stroke its solid gold feathers. Anyone else who tried that might have gotten their fingers pecked until they bled, as the king had learned when he tried to pluck one of its feathers a few months before, but the bird had let Regina touch it from the very first time she tried. Perhaps it knew she didn't mean it any harm, she thought, or perhaps it recognized a fellow captive.

With nimble fingers, Regina opened the latch to the bird's golden cage. She held out her hand, and the bird jumped onto her wrist, looking up at her cautiously. She had never thought birds' faces to be especially emotive, but she could swear she saw all the excitement and dread she was feeling herself in its eyes.

A few moments later, the bird took off from her wrist and fluttered up into the air. As she watched it go, Regina's own heart soared with it. For the first time ever, she actually felt free.

* * *

Days passed, and then weeks. They flew by as quickly as an arrow. Robin showed Regina a new world in the woods, more extraordinary than she had ever imagined, and little by little, the other Merry Men came to see her as one of them. She left behind the trappings of royalty entirely and didn't regret it one bit. A simple life with love and happiness was all she had ever wanted, and she had finally found it. There was still the threat of the king finding them, of course, but no one was more skilled at evading royal soldiers than Robin Hood. And one morning, when they woke up in each other's arms, she traced his lion tattoo and told him the story of how she had ended up in the tavern.

"You almost didn't go in," he commented.

"I was afraid," she admitted. "But I'm glad I did. It was so worth it."


End file.
